Sir Robert's Diary March 1892
Friday 11th March 1892 I recieved a letter requesting my prescence at Speaker's Corner in Hyde Park yesterday evening. Upon attending I encountered a most unusual group, including Belladonna, the nurse that works for Doctor House. It transpired that the purpose of this meeting was to recruit myself, and six others, into a secretive organisation known as the Rippers; a group that spend their free time hunting down the evils of the world and putting a stop to it. Partway through this meeting, an old gypsy woman approached us and began to utter gibberish whilst pointing at us, one by one. When her finger came to rest upon me she proclaimed in deranged tones "You are the one that was, and will be again!". As the Gypsy woman was leaving she was set upon by two men moving with inhuman speed and agility into the thick London fog. That evening was full of action and intrigue but I confess, of all the things that I have witnessed, the words of the gypsy lady have left me most perplexed. Monday 14th March 1892 Last night I surveyed the "Umbral Rooms" in the guise of my alter ego. I discovered the cellar door is secured by all manner of bolts, chains and locks, and cannot be opened from either side without the aid of another, and the keys! The only way into the club is through either the front door, or the single tradesman's entrance located at the rear of the premesis. This tradesman's door would therefore be our only means of entry. I hastened back to the lodge to relay the information "my source" had discovered. When the plan was finally formed we all made our way to the "Umbral Rooms" myself and Mrs MacTannon kept watch outside, while the rest of our group entered the building through deception and cunning. Mrs. MacTannon and I wandered a short distance to watch a Punch and Judy show while we waited and were quite amazed to see four puppets working at the same time. As the show came to an end, the puppeteer was handing out rag dolls of Mister Punch. Mrs. MacTannon requested one, so I approached the puppeteer, enquiring how he managed to put on such a show with four puppets at once, and requesting a doll for the lady that I was escorting. His answers were both guarded and evasive, saying that he had no puppets remaining and could not reveal his suppliers. I realised that I was getting nowhere, so I decided to return to Mrs. MacTannon. When I came in sight of her I was most surprised to see that she was surrounded by a crowd of clamouring children, all holding up dolls and asking for sixpence in return. One of the children was an adorable young girl, by far the smallest of the group, with large eyes and sunny disposition. She had clearly won a place in the heart of Mrs. MacTannon. Taking pity on the ragamuffins, I gave them all some small coin, and sent them on their way so that we could hasten back to the "Umbral Rooms" to discover the situation of our comrades. We chose to act not one moment too soon! As we came in sight of the cart and horse, we heard shots from within! With alll possible haste we ran inside to assist in whatever fray had erupted. It took some time to find our companions through the maze of rooms that made up the club, but nonetheless we made good time and were soon confronted with the aftermath of a brutal exchange. The thugs, fallen unconcious, were defeated even as we entered. I confess for a moment I was somewhat disappointed that I had not had a chance to show my mettle - there are times I enjoy a bit of a 'rumble' as Mister Garvin would have it. Little was I to know what was in store for the hours to come. Having reunited as a group, our search of the club continued, eventually leading us to the cellar which was lined with jail cells of a sort. We proceeded carefully, checking each one as we passed. Eventually, in the final cell, we discovered Lord Wicks, shackled, and apparently unconcious. Miss Belladonna entered the cell to attend to him as we opened the door at the end of the corridor. Although my view was obscured, I could tell that another battle was about to ensue, from the actions and reactions of our comrades in front, and I waited for my chance, pistol drawn and ready in my hand. Occasionally I was able to take a clear shot at one of the blighters, taking them out as each opportunity presented itself. It was, however, most inconvenient to be stuck as I was, behind so many less competent combatants. One of these fellows was speaking in a French accent, and appeared to be in charge. It was upon this miscreant to which I turned the full attention of my aim, but sadly my bullets did little more than graze him as he stepped out of sight. Leaving the principal to my allies, I turned my efforts to thinning the numbers of his associates. At that very moment three bolts of brilliant white light flew past me with a speed belying thought, the last of which struck the Frenchman squarely in the back, knocking him down and out! A few moments later a fourth bolt shattered a glass container full of swirling mystical shadows. As the remains of the container fell to the ground, the swirling energy within scattered and was absorbed into the bodies of the men we had been fighting. These men then began to "awaken" as their former selves, the missing gentlemen of London, viscious miscreants no more. The action over, Mister Garvin wandered off into the cellars, muttering something about a safe. I thought it prudent to keep an eye on him, so as to keep him out of troub;le. It transpired that he was collecting the stolen property of Lady Wicks, and as his intentions were of the noblest kind, I escorted him forthwith to the vault. The necklace in question was obtained by his expert skills and as we turned to leave we were met by a suspicious officer of the law. Of course, once he had been informed of my station, he was most apologetic that he had suspected someone of my standing, and we were escorted back to join the others. Wednesday 30th March, 1892 These past two weeks I have been attending to my pressing social commitments. Finding myself free yesterday, however, I decided to step out with the good Reverend Steele, and we were joined by Mrs. MacTannon. I suggested that we might look for some entertainment of the innocent type in one of the squares or plazas of Her Imperial Majesty's fairest city. Indeed, we were successful in finding a Punch and Judy show. Unbeknownst to the others of my party I was looking for the self same performance that Mrs MacTannon and I had viewed some two weeks ago as I had felt, somehow, that there was something unnattural about both performer and performance. We found the puppet masters tent erected and a miniature play in full swing. Mere moments after finding a suitable place from which to view, Mrs. MacTannon let out a cry, for one of the puppets on the small stage appeared to be none other than the dear little girl we had encountered after our paths last crossed the Punch and Judy show. So shaken by this revelation was Mrs. MacTannon that Reverend Steele and I were forced to escort her back to her rooms for a swift medicinal drink! Contents Next Page